In a field, on a glorious sunshine-drenched summer's day, a young family is enjoying a visit to a farm.

Accompanied by their mother and father, the blonde-haired youngsters move happily from activity to activity – helping feed the animals, riding and moving hay.

This bucolic scene could be an advertisement for country living – but is, in fact, the Belgian royals on their summer holidays.

Crown Princess Mathilde and husband Philippe like to choose active vacations, making sure their children - Elisabeth, nine, Gabriel, six, four-year-old Emmanuel and Eleonore, two – are kept occupied.

And there was no doubt that this year's trip to the Pierlapont farm in Loppem near Bruges was a winner with the future queen Elisabeth, who like her siblings was prettily dressed in green for the outing.

The look of contentment didn't leave her face for a moment, and no wonder when treats like a wheelbarrow ride from her daddy were on offer.

Even the youngest of the bunch, Eleonore got in on the fun, getting a lift up on a pony from her mum.